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Best fish for a 10 gallon tank

A 10 gallon tank holds about 38 litres of water once substrate and decor are in. That is enough for one centrepiece fish or a shrimp colony, not a busy community.

Checked by our tank model as a starter group in an empty, cycled 10G (51 × 25 × 30 cm) with a filter rated for it. One group per tank; mix species with the planner.

Good fits

  1. Cherry shrimp

    Neocaridina davidi
    Fits

    Temperature 76°F works for Cherry shrimp, but 72–75°F is ideal.

    group of 10 · 1.6 in · 4+ gal · 72–75°F · pH 6.5–7.8

  2. Amano shrimp

    Caridina multidentata
    Fits

    The best-known algae-eating shrimp, made famous by Takashi Amano; bigger than cherries and a good fit for planted community tanks.

    group of 3 · 2 in · 7+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6.5–7.5

  3. African dwarf frog

    Hymenochirus boettgeri
    Fits

    A small, fully aquatic frog of up to 2 inches that can share a tank with peaceful fish, as long as it is target-fed.

    group of 2 · 2 in · 7+ gal · 75–77°F · pH 6.6–7.8

  4. Assassin snail

    Anentome helena
    Fits

    A yellow-and-brown striped predatory snail kept to control bladder, ramshorn and trumpet snails; it breeds slowly and never becomes a pest.

    1 in · 3+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7.2–8

  5. Bladder snail

    Physella acuta
    Fits

    Bladder snail breeds out of control when overfed.

    0.6 in · 1+ gal · 63–84°F · pH 7–8

  6. Malaysian trumpet snail

    Melanoides tuberculata
    Fits

    Malaysian trumpet snail breeds out of control when overfed.

    1 in · 2+ gal · 64–77°F · pH 7–8.5

  7. Mystery snail

    Pomacea diffusa
    Fits

    The most popular large aquarium snail; it leaves healthy plants alone and lays its eggs above the waterline, so numbers are easy to control.

    2.2 in · 7+ gal · 68–82°F · pH 7–8

  8. Ramshorn snail

    Planorbarius corneus
    Fits

    The classic flat-coiled snail every fishkeeper knows; it cleans up film and leftovers, breeds easily, and the red form is especially popular.

    1.4 in · 4+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7–8

  9. Ghost shrimp

    Palaemonetes paludosus
    Fits

    A cheap, see-through North American shrimp whose insides are visible; easy to keep, but short-lived and often hard on fry and shrimplets.

    group of 3 · 1.9 in · 7+ gal · 64–82°F · pH 7–8

  10. Pea puffer

    Carinotetraodon travancoricus
    Fits

    The smallest freshwater puffer, an inch of curiosity and attitude; it eats snails, nips fins and rarely suits a community tank.

    1 in · 5+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6.8–8

  11. Whisker shrimp

    Macrobrachium lanchesteri
    Fits

    A clear, long-armed shrimp from Southeast Asia that looks harmless but is an active predator of small shrimp, snails and fish like guppies.

    1.5 in · 12+ gal · 75–84°F · pH 6.5–8

Possible, with care

  1. Neon tetra

    Paracheirodon innesi
    With care

    Neon tetra: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 8 · 1.2 in · 17+ gal · 70–77°F · pH 5–7

  2. Harlequin rasbora

    Trigonostigma heteromorpha
    With care

    Harlequin rasbora: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 8 · 1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–7

  3. Fancy guppy

    Poecilia reticulata
    With care

    GH 8 dGH is outside the Fancy guppy range 8–25 dGH.

    group of 3 · 1.4 in · 13+ gal · 75–81°F · pH 7–8

  4. Panda corydoras

    Corydoras panda
    With care

    Panda corydoras: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 1.6 in · 17+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.2

  5. Otocinclus

    Otocinclus vittatus
    With care

    Otocinclus: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 1.4 in · 17+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.2

  6. Betta

    Betta splendens
    With care

    Betta: tank width 25 cm < 30 cm needed.

    2.8 in · 11+ gal · 72–86°F · pH 6–7.5

  7. Black neon tetra

    Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
    With care

    Black neon tetra: needs a 72 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 8 · 1.4 in · 23+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

  8. Bristlenose pleco

    Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus
    With care

    Bristlenose pleco: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    4.9 in · 17+ gal · 70–79°F · pH 5.5–7.5

  9. Cardinal tetra

    Paracheirodon axelrodi
    With care

    Cardinal tetra: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 8 · 1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 4–6

  10. Cherry barb

    Puntius titteya
    With care

    Cherry barb: needs a 54 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 2 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–8

  11. Dwarf gourami

    Trichogaster lalius
    With care

    Dwarf gourami: needs a 56 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    3 in · 18+ gal · 72–81°F · pH 6–7.5

  12. Glowlight tetra

    Hemigrammus erythrozonus
    With care

    Glowlight tetra: needs a 68 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 1.6 in · 22+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 6–7.5

And 32 more in the species catalog.

Too much

  1. Angelfish

    Pterophyllum scalare
    Avoid

    Angelfish: needs a 100 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    3.5 in · 32+ gal · 77–84°F · pH 6–7

  2. Tiger barb

    Puntigrus tetrazona
    Avoid

    Tiger barb: needs a 100 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 2.2 in · 32+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

  3. Black widow tetra

    Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
    Avoid

    pH 7.2 is outside the Black widow tetra range 6.0–7.0.

    group of 12 · 2.4 in · 22+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 6–7

  4. Blood parrot cichlid

    hybrid
    Avoid

    Blood parrot cichlid: needs a 114 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    7.9 in · 36+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6.5–8

  5. Blue dolphin cichlid

    Cyrtocara moorii
    Avoid

    Temperature 76°F is outside the Blue dolphin cichlid range 77–84°F.

    group of 3 · 9.8 in · 80+ gal · 77–81°F · pH 8–8.5

  6. Bronze cory

    Corydoras aeneus
    Avoid

    Stocking of 354% is above the 150% limit.

    group of 6 · 3 in · 23+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 6–8

  7. Chinese algae eater

    Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
    Avoid

    Chinese algae eater: needs a 304 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 6 · 11 in · 95+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–8

  8. Clown loach

    Chromobotia macracanthus
    Avoid

    pH 7.2 is outside the Clown loach range 5.0–7.0.

    group of 6 · 15.7 in · 202+ gal · 75–86°F · pH 5–7

  9. Common pleco

    Pterygoplichthys pardalis
    Avoid

    Amazon sailfin catfish (common pleco): needs a 650 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    22.8 in · 203+ gal · 77–82°F · pH 7–7.5

  10. Convict cichlid

    Amatitlania nigrofasciata
    Avoid

    Convict cichlid: needs a 108 L tank, this one is 38 L.

    group of 2 · 5.9 in · 34+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 7–8

  11. Demasoni

    Chindongo demasoni (syn. Pseudotropheus demasoni)
    Avoid

    pH 7.2 is outside the Demasoni range 7.6–8.8.

    group of 6 · 3 in · 64+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 8.2–8.5

  12. Discus

    Symphysodon aequifasciatus (species complex)
    Avoid

    Temperature 76°F is outside the Discus range 79–86°F.

    group of 5 · 5.5 in · 80+ gal · 79–86°F · pH 5–7

And 83 more in the species catalog.

How many fish fit in 10 gallons?

The old inch-per-gallon rule ignores body shape and group size. We estimate bioload from adult mass and water temperature, compare it with what the filter and weekly water changes remove, then add the space each species needs to swim and school.

The list above checks one species at a time. To mix several, add them to your own tank: the planner checks every pair and the combined load.

Questions

Can a betta live in a 10 gallon tank?

Yes. Ten gallons is a comfortable home for one male betta, with room for plants and a few snails or shrimp.

How many neon tetras can go in a 10 gallon tank?

Eight is the most our model accepts, and it flags the tank as small for them: neons are happier in 15 to 20 gallons.

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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